What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
Therapy is an essential part of addiction treatment, and patients will likely receive several different kinds of talk therapy while they’re in a drug or alcohol rehab program. Cognitive-behavioral therapy in Florida is a central part of our programming at WhiteSands Treatment, helping patients identify flawed or unhealthy patterns of thinking and behaving and then assisting them with replacing these damaging ways of seeing the world with more beneficial and healthy views. However, a more specialized version of CBT called dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, can also be effective in treating addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. So, what is dialectical behavior therapy?
Like CBT, DBT is a form of talk therapy. It was developed by Marsha M. Linehan in the 1980s, and its goal is to help patients learn to accept and manage their thought patterns and emotions. Let’s explore this important therapy type in more detail.
Which Are the 7 Crucial DBT Strategies?
There are seven components at play in DBT:
- Core Mindfulness: This teaches patients to maintain awareness of the present moment and allows them to focus on balancing their emotions. When you can alter your thought patterns (whether via meditation or simply through your thoughts), you are more capable of dealing with negative emotions.
- Distress Tolerance: This is similar, but instead focuses on exposing patients to negative thought practices. They may experience uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as they progress through this step.
- Emotional Regulation: To truly heal, patients must embrace their emotions and learn to think through them. The biggest variable is learning to adapt and change irregular thoughts. This is where the third step of dialectical behavioral therapy comes into play.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: At this stage, names and theories of one’s emotions are emphasized. When done correctly, it can work wonders on one’s mindset. In this part of DBT, the patient learns to love themselves for who they are while distinguishing between “wants” and “shoulds.” This can help in treating substance use disorders because it allows the patient to focus on intense cravings and realize they’re a “want,” not a “should.”
- Walking the Middle Path: This stage of DBT teaches the person to overcome cravings or desires that they now realize are better left unacted upon. This is where all of the hard work of the prior steps pays off, allowing the person to accept themselves and their thoughts.
- Validation: This helps address the patient’s feelings, affirming them as truths that make sense, considering who they are and what they’ve experienced.
- Problem-Solving: In this final step, the other steps are applied to real-world situations as the patient works through problems and challenges.
How Does DBT Actually Work?
Understanding how DBT works requires understanding the difference between dialectical behavior therapy vs. CBT. Unlike cognitive-behavioral therapy, which points out inaccurate or flawed ways of thinking, DBT aims to help patients understand and accept their realities for what they truly are. This includes learning to love oneself without judgment. The overall theme behind DBT, and almost any form of talk therapy, is to teach you how to take positive steps in the right direction.
When you express your thoughts and feelings in the form of words, you are communicating to yourself. Think about that: When you engage in talk therapy, you are not just receiving a neutral position to speak to. Rather, you are always there with you. Much like a shadow follows us down the road as we walk toward sunset, we are always with ourselves, and this can be uncomfortable when you do not know how to deal with irregular thought patterns. Thus, when you engage in dialectical behavior therapy, you are allowing yourself to be vulnerable in the presence of a trained and licensed professional. This allows you to forgive yourself for wrongdoings and work toward a positive and self-affirming future.
What Is DBT Therapy Effective For?
DBT is effective not only for addiction but also for those who struggle with emotional battles. Though it is not only meant to address these issues, it is often associated with those suffering from mood or emotional disorders. This includes borderline personality disorder (BPD), bipolar disorder, and those with suicidal thoughts or behavior. Still, DBT is also beneficial for treating addictions. It teaches the person to battle cravings by teaching them to live in the present moment. When we self-medicate, whether through drugs or alcohol, we are trying to avoid our emotions and our thoughts. Not everyone suffering from substance use disorder is doing so to self-medicate, but addiction often occurs when you are having trouble managing intense emotions or cravings. Talk therapies (such as DBT and CBT) address this issue by presenting a way out.
What Is DBT Most Commonly Used For?
When asking what is dialectical behavior therapy, it’s important to remember that it’s not just for borderline personality disorder, even though that was its original intention. Those with anxiety often benefit from DBT, as it addresses the need to learn to cope with emotions and intrusive thought patterns. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety is also a common treatment approach for that particular disorder. DBT focuses on teaching you how to mindfully deal with your emotions, handle intense negative thoughts, and regulate your feelings. This is the basis for its effectiveness. Because of this, DBT is now a frequently used and effective form of therapy in the treatment of substance use disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and even attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Can Help You Overcome Addiction at WhiteSands Treatment
Dialectical behavioral therapy can be a powerful way of helping people who are struggling with a drug or alcohol problem. Addiction plagues the mind; it seeks immediate gratification. With the help of DBT, patients can learn to accept and then better manage their emotions and thoughts and achieve long-lasting recovery. WhiteSands Treatment offers a wide variety of therapies in our addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders treatment, including CBT, DBT, and group therapy sessions. We know that overcoming addiction requires addressing both the physical and mental aspects of substance abuse, and that’s why therapies like DBT are at the heart of how we treat drug or alcohol addiction. Learn how we can help you or a loved one recover after addiction by calling us at 877-855-3470.
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.